Central West Roadtrip: Stargazing in Condobolin

One of the many advantages of living in Australia is the fact that there is relatively little light pollution. For those who are curious, you can check out this map to see how much light pollution there is in your country / region! Naturally, there is quite a lot on the coastline (which is where the capital and major cities / towns are) and pockets inland. However, generally, once you head a few hours inland, the light pollution diminishes and the skies are amazing! With this in mind, I wanted to head as far west as I could from major cities / towns and I decided on Condobolin purely because there was a free camp.

In my attempt to find something - actually anything - to see / do on the way to Condobolin from Orange, I stumbled upon The Utes in the Paddock. It is an art installation where 20 Holden utes have been given a makeover and placed in a field!







Reminds me of the Weasley's flying car!


It was definitely an interesting concept. However as it is 70km from Parkes (which is 360km from Sydney...) it definitely is only worthwhile if you are in the general 100km vicinity. Perhaps. For more information about each ute please read this blog which has transposed the signs about each ute!

I also passed by Bogan Gate which is an amusing name of a village. Allegedly, Bogan Gate is derived from an Aboriginal word which means 'the birthplace of a notable headman of the local tribe'. I can't find any sources that support this claim, however I do believe it had a different meaning back in the day since there is the Bogan River.

Gum Bend Lake and my campsite for the night

And for the main attraction. The stars!










That typical shot.